Automatic cut-off



May 15, 1939. A.\v. sALlsBURY 2,158,309

AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF' l Filed Oct. 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Shea?l l Sme/wm v9- K 'azlsary.

May 16, 1939. A. v SAUSBURY 2,158,309

AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF y Filed oct. 271957 2 sheets-sheet 2 X5 f5 9. Zalzzary.

Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an automatic cutoff constituting a means for controlling iiow of water from the drain spout of a roof gutter into a cistern or a sewer or other place of disposal.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is so constructed that the directional flow of water from the drain spout into the sewer or the cistern may be automatically controlled and thus the water allowed to ow from the roong gutter into the sewer until dirt, leaves and other trash have been carried away and clean water then directed into the cistern for use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device of this character including a valve having actuating means including a weight which normally holds the valve in position to prevent ow of water into the ciste-rn and a container which will be gradually lled with water until its weight overcomes the first weight and causes the valve to be moved into position to cut oi ilow of water to the sewer and permit flow of water into the cistern.

It is another object of the invention to provide the valve with operating means of such construction that, althrough suii'icient water will be directed into the bucket or other receptacle while rain is still falling, the water will drain out of the bucket after rain fall has stopped and the valve then returned to its initial position in which iiow of water will be cut off from the cistern and ow of water to the sewer reestablished.

'Ihe invention-is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved cut-01T,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken vertically through the cut-off, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken horizontally through Figure 2 along the line 3--3.

'I'his improved automatic cut-off is to be installed in a drain pipe leading from a gutter of the roof of a building and serve as means for controlling flow of rain water from the drainage pipe into a cistern in which the rain water is stored for use. During dry weather dust, leaves, bird drippings and other dirt accumulate upon the roof of a building and in the gutter through which rain water flows to a drainage pipe l and unless some means is provided for preventing it this dirt will be carried into a cistern and spoil the water in the cistern. In order to prevent this dirt from being carried into the cistern, the automatic cut-oi constituting the subject-matter of this invention has been perfected, the basic idea of the invention being to allow the initial ow of rain water to be directed to a sewer or other place of disposal and then cause the water to be directed into the cistern after a suiiicient 5 flow of rain water has taken place to clear the roof and gutter of dirt.

This improved cut-01T has a housing 2 which may be formed of metal and is mounted in a vertical position with the lower end of the ldrain pipe I extending into the open upper end of the housing. A discharge spout or neck l extends downwardly from the bottom of the housing about an outlet opening 5 formed therein, and this neck 4 is engaged in the upper end of a pipe L15 6 which may be referred to as an extension of the drain pipe l and leads to a sewer or other place of disposal for the initial ow of rain water and dirt carried thereby. At one side the housing is formed with a second discharge spout 'l 20 which fits into a pipe 8 leading to a cistern, and upon referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that the spout 1 is located some distance above the bottom of the housing. Therefore, a quantity of water must accumulate in the bottom of ,25 the housing before it can flow through the spout 1 and through the downwardly inclined pipe 8 to the cistern. In order to prevent leaves, sticks and the like from accumulating in the housing, there has been provided a screen 9 which ex- 30 tends between the wall formed with the openings 3 and the wall from which the spout 'l leads and is of such width that it iills the entire upper end portion of the housing. The lower end of the screen extends through the openings 3 and 35 the metal frame of the screen is cut to form a depending lip or flange l0 which engages the turned edge Il at the bottom of the opening 3. Therefore, the screen may be set in place with the flange along the bottom of the opening 3 and the upper end portion of the screen may then be forced into the housing where it will t snugly and maintain itself in place. In View of the fact that the screen extends at an incline, sticks and leaves v passing downwardly through the drain pipe l will iloW along this screen and through the opening 3 and drop upon the ground. It will thus be seen that the leaves and the like will be prevented from accumulating in the housing and forming an obstruction which would prevent proper operation of the cut-oi.

In `order to control directional iiow of water from the housing through the neck 4 or the neck 1, there has been provided a valve or cut- U I0 resting upon the turned edge Il `4,0v

oi mechanism having a shaft I2 which extends transversely through the housing adjacent the bottom thereof and is rotatably mounted in bearings I3 and I4. The bearing I4 extends entirely through the wall carrying the same and at its outer end is provided with a packing gland I5 Which, when tightened, will prevent water from leaking outwardly around the shaft. An arm I6 extends radially from the shaft within the housing and this arm is of suchlength that, when it is in the vertical position shown in full lines in Figure 2, it extends partially across the outlet of the opening from which the neck 1 leads while, when it is in the lowered or horizontal position indicated by dotted lines in this view, it will ex-Vv tend partially across the outlet opening 5 from which the neck 4 extends. A stem or bolt II passes through the free end portion of the arm- I6 and at one end carries a valve disk I8 while its other end portion carries a valve disk I9. These valve disks are of duplicate construction and' each preferably consists of a thick sheet of rubber disposedr between reinforcing disks 2l) formed of metal'. Springs 2"I` are disposed about the stem between the valve disk and' opposite side faces of the arm t6 and serve to place the two valves under tension and permit them to be firmly held in a closed position when in use.

During' dry weather, the out-offV is to be disi'ri the position shown in full lines in- Figure 2' with the vave IS closing the outlet from which the neck 'I' leads but when it rains the cut-off is to be moved to theI position indicatedy by dotted linesiir Figure 2 after' a certain quantity of' rain water has passedv through the` neck 4 and intolthe drain' pipe 6. InA orderV to .do so, there has been provided a rocker arm` 22 which ts upon the protruding end portion of the sha-ft lf2' where it isfrmly'secure'd by a set screw 23'. The rocker arm'` has' triangular end portions, the apic'es of which' faceeach other, as" shown inv Figure 1, and along opposite side faces of the' enlarged end portions of' the rockerarih are secured side strips 24 and 25 which project outwardly from these ends of the. rocker" arm and d'e'r'ie channels for receiving' flexible members, such as the chains 26" and 2"I', which are Secured at their upper ends to pins 2'8' and 29 extending transversely through upper end' portions of thechann'els. A weight 3! whicl may be formed of le'adf or any other desired material is suspended' from the chainv 21 and exerts a constant pull upon this' end portion of the' rocker arm whereas the 'chain 23 has" a normally empty bucket 3l` suspended from its lower enzd In view of the' fact' that the empty bucket 3'I weighs less than the weight/3u, the rocker arm' will be normally' held in thev position shownin full lines in Figure 1 and the' arm IfS will be normally held in the vertical position shown in Figure 2 with the valve t9 closing the outlets from which the neck 'I exterids'.- In View of the fact that the chains 2c ari-o' 2'1' are" engaged between the strips 24 and 25?, they will be prevented rom shifting transversely of the ends of the rocker arrriZ and, Since the cifiaiii extends downwardly from the lower' end' of thel end edge iace of the rocker arm which isv uppermost, the pull of the weight or bucket will spaced as far as possible from the axis of the shaft I2. Therefore', the greatest possible leverage will be exerted for turning the shaft. This also causes the bucket to be held against transverse shifting and it will' at all times be disposed properly under the small outlet pipe leading from the bottom of the housing 2`.

During use of the automatic cut-off, the valve I 8 is normally out of closing relation to the outlet opening 5 and when rain starts falling water flowing from the roof of a building into the gutter may flow through the drain pipe I into the housing Where leaves and other large trash will be diverted by the screen 9 and directed outwardly through the opening 3. The rain water and ne dirt passing through the screen flows through the opening 5- and neck 4 into=the pipe 6 to the sewer or other place of disposal but a certain amount of the water will flow through a small pipe 32 leading from the bottom of the housing and since this pipe 32 terminates over the bucket 3l the bucket will be gradually filled with water. It takes some little time for the bucket to be filled with water as there is a small opening 33 formed in the bottom of the bucket and during this-interval all of the dirt upon a roof will have passedthrough the housing 2 and out through the H neck 4 into the drain pipev 5. As soon` as the bucket i becomes iilledwithI sufficient water to overcome the pull of the weight 30, the rocker arml will be swung to the position indicated' by .dotted lines in Figure 1f andthe arm I6 swung withl the shaft I2 to the lowered or horizontal position in which the valve I` closes the outlet 5' and the valve I9v movesout of closing relation tothe outlet from which the` neck 1r extends. Rain water may then accumulate in` the lower portion of the housing and flow through the neck li and the pipe 8 to the cistern. Water will continue to ow through the pipe 32 and into the bucket 3If to maintain the proper weight. in the bucket. When rainA stops falling, the water in the lower portion of the housing will; continue'to ow through the pipe 32 into the bucket andA as soon as all of the waterV has passed out of the housing through the pipe 32, the weight of the water in the bucket will be gradually reduced by the water flowing out through the smally opening 332 in the b'ottom of the' bucket. The weight of the bucket will then be overcome by the weight 3i) and the rocker arm will be returned. to the position shown in full lines in Figure 1 and the vave .t9-.again moved into closing relationl to the spout 'I' so that, whenl rain again falls and' a fresh supply of water flows from the root and into the housing, the initial sup-ply of water which isladeri with dirt will be clisclia'rgedv from the housing through the pipe 6 and the waterV then diverted tothe neck 'I and' the pipe 3. It will thus be seen that the vdei/ice works automatically and only clean water will be allowedI to pass into the cistern.

Having thus described theinvention, what is claimed as new is:

An automatic cut-off device comprising a chamber having an upper inlet and having its bottom formed with a main outlet and a side wall formed with an outlet spaced upwardly from the bottom, a drain pipe leading from the bottom and constituting an auxiliary outlet, a closure operating'in said chamber and movable from a normal position in closing relation to the side outlet to a lowered position in closing relationv to the main outlet of the bottom, said closure having a rocker shaft journaled through the chamber transversely thereof with one end portion projecting outwardly from a side o the chamber, a rocker arm secured intermediate its length to the outwardly projecting end of the rocker shaft and having vertically extending ends, plates secured against opposite side faces of ends of the rocker arm and defining Vertical channels', flexible suspending members secured at upper ends at tops of the channels and extending downwardly through the channels and below the arm, a weight carried by the lower end of one flexible member for normally holding the rocker bar tilted in a direction to maintain the closure in closing relation to the side outlet of the chamber, and a receptacle suspended from the lower end of the other flexible member in position to be filled with liquid flow- 10 ing from the auxiliary outlet at the bottom of the chamber and gradually assume weight sufc'ent to overcome the weight and move the rocker bar in a direction to move the closure into closing relation to the main outlet in the bottom of the chamber, a drain being provided for the receptacle whereby liquid therein may escape and the weight restore the rocker arm to its initial position and return the closure into position to close the side outlet of the chamber.

ARTHUR V. SALISBURY. 

